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The collapsed Canterbury Television building in Christchurch's CBD - Source: Supplied -
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A coroner's inquest into the deaths of people in the CTV building in February has found that some may have survived the collapse of the building and died later.
However, remaining questions about the deaths of those people will have to wait until the Royal Commission has conducted its inquiry.
The coroner's inquest into the deaths of people in Christchurch's February earthquake resumed today after being re-scheduled from June, when they were disrupted by a series of large aftershocks in the city.
It heard emotional testimony from family members of the deceased who have also raised fresh questions about the safety of the building.
In a recorded testimony, CTV victim Gillian Sayers' sister claims Gillian's boss at Kings Education asked her to breach the cordon after the September quake.
"Gillian and some of the staff were frightened and refused to go into the building," the inquest heard.
"She thought the building felt different after the september quake."
Some victims may have survived the collapse and died later.
The coroner Gordon Matenga said these concerns should all be addressed following the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the collapse of buildings in Christchurch during the earthquake.
About 30 or 40 people turned up this morning to hear the brief details of how their loved ones died. Many in the CTV building died of massive crush injuries.
Gillian Sayers' partner Matthew Boyce read out a statement on behalf of Joanne Macgregor, Gillian's sister.
"I am a doctor and my mind is full of pictures of what happened in that building on that day," the statement from Macgregor read.
"At this stage I don't think those pictures will ever go away."
Most of the bodies were found within a week of the building's collapse and subsequently identified using dental records, fingerprints and other forensic evidence.
Tomorrow the coroner will examine the deaths of the other 64 Kings College students.
On Wednesday the cases of the 18 Pyne Gould Corporation building victims will be heard and on Thursday and Friday people who died across the city will be ruled on.
ONE News reporter Max Bania said that after the police read out their statement, the coroner rules on cause of death and a death certificate is issued.
He said the process gives families a sense of legal closure and allows them to pursue wills and estates.
"But by nature it is a very sombre occasion, but the families we have spoken to say a lot of catharsis can come out of it.
"It is very harrowing, very painful to hear about those last moments of their loved ones but at the same time it can give a sense of finality," he said.
All victims' families are invited to attend the hearings and there are police present at the back of the hearing to answer questions.
Police have an individual file for each victim and families are free to peruse them.
